Elastic tire.



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z venar who 'Wiz'am No. @5,691 Patented .lllnu` 4, 190|. W. F. WILLIAMS.

ELASTIC TIRE.

(Application fled Feb. 21, 1901.) (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

FIG-5.

UNIIhn STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELASTIC TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,697, dated J' une4, 1901.

Application filed February 2l, 1901. Serial No. 48,315. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may 0071.007171,.-v

Be it known that l, WILLIAM FREDERICK W'ILLIAMS, gentleman, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, residing at 17 and 18 Great Pulteney street,London, IV., England, have invented new and useful Improvements inElastic Tires, of which the following is a speciiication. l

My invention relates to the manufacture of hollow rubber tires of D orapproximately D section adapted to be secured to the 'wheel-rim by aband passing through the bore of the tire 54 and the invention has forits object to produce a rubber tire having embedded in the rubber (inimmediate proximity to the bore of the tire) helical springs conformingto the transversely-arched form of the tire, in combination With a cordor cords adapted to form a core to lill up the interior of the springs,the springs and cords coacting to strengthen the tire.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figures land 2 are part longitudinal sections of tires having helical springsembedded therein, the springs being upon a cord or cords, the cord inFig. l being continuous and helically Wound and in Fig. 2 consisting ofseparate circumferential convolutions of cord. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionofthe tire shown in Fig. l. Figs. i and 5 are part longitudinal sectionsof tires like those shown in Figs. l and 3, respectively, but withgrooves in the bore of the tire. Fig. 6 shows a portion of cord withspring threaded thereon and an attached reinforcing-strip of open-meshedfabric. Fig. 7 is a part longitudinal section, drawn to a larger scale,of a tire-head like that shown in Fig. l, but provided with areinforcing-strip, as in Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 show the mandrels used inmaking the tires illustrated in Figs. fi and 5, respectively.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

d is the rubber tire of D or approximately D form, b the cord or cords,and o the usual canvas lining.

The invention consists,

essentially, in

threading helical springs s (preferably of fiattened form incross-section) upon a cord l),

(or upon two or more juxtaposed cords, as at 0,) adapted to fill up theinterior of the springs, so as to form a solid iiexible core therefor,the springs s being spaced at intervals upon a continuous cord or cords,as in Figs. l and 4, or threaded upon short lengths of oord whose endsproject beyond those of the springs, as in Figs. 2 and 5, and thenWinding or lapping the cord or cords, with the springs thereon, tightlyabout a mandrel of the sectional form corresponding to the intended formof the bore of the tire and previously covered with rubber-coated canvasc, as usual, so that the springs, if straight, will be caused by thecords to conform to the shape of the mandrel and Will be brought to thearched forni in the transverse direction of the tire With the ends ofthe springs presented toward the base thereof and will be held inposition on the mandrel while the rubber is applied, the cords aloneextending across the base p of the tire and serving to strengthen thesame at the sides and to form a durable or wear-resisting bed for themetal band by which the tire is clasped to the wheel-rim, as abovementioned.

The springs s, whether carried by a continuous cord Z9 or cords o, woundhelically, or each by a separate cord b or cords o, lappedcircumferentially about the mandrel,aresepa rated by intervals which arefilled by the rub ber deposited about the springs, which, together withthe cords, are thus firmly embedded in the rubber.

In order to preserve the equal spacing of the springs upon the mandrelfm., the latter may be formed with a continuous helical rib f, as shownin Fig. 8, or with separate circumferential ribs, as shown in Fig. 9,the cord or cords,witl1 the springs threaded thereon, being Wound orlapped around the mandrel in the groove or grooves r between the saidrib or ribs, by which rib or ribs the additional purpose is served ofmolding in the rubber intervening between adjacent springs s grooves e,Which extend helically, as in Fig. 4, or circumferentially, as in Fig.5, around the walls of the bore and which have the effect offacilitating the longitudinal compression and liexure of the tire inapplying it about the Wheel-rim.

IOO

The springs s are of such length that when bent to the arched form bybeing lapped around the mandrel they extendaround the arched portion ofthe mandrel from side to side, their ends being approximately Hush Withthe flat side of the mandrel, and when la continuous cord or cordshelically wound upon the mandrel is used the springs are so spaced onthe cord or cords that the intervals between the springs correspond tothose portions of the cord which cross the flat side of the mandrel, atwhich the basep of the tire is formed.

When the springs are threaded each on a separate length of cord or onjuxtaposed lengths, the end portions of the cord or cords project beyondthe ends of the springs and are of such length as toj ust meet at themiddle of the fiat side of the mandrel, where they are secured inposition by being cemented to rubber-*coated canvas, which is firstWrapped about the mandrel to form the liner c for the bore of the tire.When the mandrel is ribbed, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9,-the liner ispressed by the cord or' cords in to the grooves between theribs, so thatthe liner is caused to con'- forrn to the helically or circularly ribbedconvfiguration of the mandrel and to present a correspondingly groovedor corrugated surfacie at the bore of the tire.

'If necessary, in order topermit the removal of the mandrel from thetire, the flat base p of the latter may be slit longitudinally along thecenter line, as at g in Fig. 3, the severed portions being reunited ornot by cementing together the cut faces and by app-lying to the base ofthe tire a covering strip or strips of rubber-coated canvas h cementedon.V

With the cords and springs (Whether the formerrbe continuous or in shortlengths) there maybe combined a reinforcing-strip d of open-meshedfabric, such as shown, such strip being woven lwith selvaged edges andbeing stitched to the cord after the springs have been applied thereon,so as to retain the springs in properly-spaced positions on the cord,prevent their being displaced in handlingl while Winding or lappingaround the mandrel, and insure a firmer union of the cords and springsto the rubber.

The reinforcing-strip is made of such Width as to project at each sideof they cord to such extent as to bridg'eover the interval betweenadjacent springs, the margins of adjacent reinforcing-strips overlappingand being, so to speak, keyed together by the rubber passing through themeshes of both.

The cord Which I prefer touse is a plaited c ord or several juxtaposedcords; but I wish it to ,be understood that under the term cord Iinclude twisted cord or rope of any size and section suited to till thesprings.

I claiml. The combination with a hollow rubber Wheel-tire ofsubstantially D section, of spiral springs extending in arched formaround the outer part of the bore of the tire with their ends presentedtoward the base of the tire, and of a fibrous cord or cords passingthrough the springs and extending across the fiat base of the tire, thesprings and cord or cords being embedded in the rubber at intervals withrubber intervening between the springs, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a hollow rubber wheel-tire of substantially Dsection,- of heli; cal springs extending in arched form around the outerpart of the bore with their ends presented toward the base orflat sidethereof, and of a fibrous cord or cords passing through the sprin gs andextending across the flat base of the tire, the springs and cord orcords be# ing embedded in therubber at intervals with rubber interveningbetween the springs, and of a canvas liner for the bore united to thecords and the intervening rubber,

The combination With a hollow rubber wheel-tire of substantially Dsection, of heli cal springs extending in arched form around the outerpart of the bore with the ends pre,L sented toward the base or flat sidethereof, and of a fibrous cord or cords passing'through the springs andextending in the form o f a continuous openly-wound helix, the cord orcords alone passing across the fiat base of the tire and the springs andcord or cords being embedded inl the rubber around the bore of the tireat intervals with rubber intervening between the springs, substantiallyas speci-Y fied.

4:. The combination with a hollow rubber wheel-tire of substantially Dsection, of helical springs extending in arched form around the outerpart ofthe bore with their ends presented toward the base or iiat sidethereof, and of separate lengths of fibrous cords passing through thesprings and theirrend portions which project from the ends of thesprings extending transversely and meeting at the middle of the base ofthe tire, the springs and cords being embedded in the rubber around thebore of the tire at intervals with rubber intervening between thesprings, substantially as specified. p

5. A hollow rubber Wheel-tire of substan tially D section havingembedded therein at intervals, helical springs extending in arched formaround the outer part of the bore of the tire with their ends presentedtoward the base thereof, a Iibrous cord or cords passing through thesprings and extending across the iiat base of the tire, a canvas linerforthe bore of the lfire united to the cord convolutions and to theintervening rubber, the canvas liner and the rubber to which it isunited being molded with grooves extending in the circumferentialdirection of the bore between adjacent cord convolutions, as specied.

6. The method of making a rubber tire havl ing helical springs and cordspassing through IOO ro Wound in the form of an open helix tightly aboutthe mandrel so as to bind the Springs thereto and retain them in thearched form, and then applying rubber between the convolutions andafterward by extrusion through a die about the mandrel, cord, andsprings, 15

substantially as specified.

WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLAMS. Witnesses:

C. G. CLARK, T. W'. KENNARDu

